Laptops

September 24th, 2010, 05:38 AM

Hey everyone,

Do you have any recommendations for a laptop? I'm in the market for one, but am thinking down the road a little bit so I want to get one that will hold up well during a deployment. I've read reviews on different brands and models, but was looking for someone who has recent experience with taking a laptop on deployment. Any info would be great.

im just replying to your thread so you know it's been read...
i have no opinion as ive never been deployed (yet)...but i dont think it matters. from all my fellow troops that have returned from 2 deployments, laptops were never an issue but the actual time they had to get on them and connected to the internet.

Comment

I would recommend either the Lenovo Thinkpad T series or the Dell Latitude series. Both are "business class" notebooks that stand up to the rigors of being carried around all day unlike the more "home" oriented model series both manufacturers make.

A good place to get them for really cheap is Dell Outlet or Lenovo Outlet. Search for "previously ordered but never shipped" - a customer cancelled his/her order and the laptop is as good as new for a LOT less than retail.

Comment

I work for HP so I don't want to be a sell out and just tell you to buy one of their Laptops... But at least look into it they have a good Military Discount

The only thing I would bring up is if you get the Accidental Damage warrenty it will cover it if your Laptop gets detroyed from all the Sand and Dust if you get deployed... So if you know you will get deployed these are usually worth the extra money...

Comment

I just bought a Toshiba Satellite for school use mainly. I was looking for a long time. Lenovo Think/Ideapads are good ones to get. ASUS is also a good brand but a bit on the cheaply made side. Also look into HP or Gateway. www.tigerdirect.com has a lot of good deals but be sure to look at reviews from them at cnet.com or a similar site. Good luck.

Comment

I'm currently deployed. And from what I've seen are a few things. Most soldiers use their laptop to either play games, watch movies, or surf the net. Be that said, we've also had our share of flying dirt/dust and trying to cram the thing in a bag with all the other gear we're issued as we move from place to place.
I've seen screens crack, shells crack or chip off, and the occasional power cord plugin break off.
My best advise, get a small laptop or a netbook of some type. They're usually cheaper and will do most of the things you want it to do. Plus it being small makes carrying it a breeze.
If you're going to be a gamer with the latest and greatest PC games out there, obviously a netbook won't cover it. So you'll probably want to look for something more along the lines of a Dell (mil discount), HP (mil discount), or ASUS that can handle those new game requirements (Processor speed, RAM, and Harddrive Space).

Also, if you're going to be deploying, get yourself at least 1 TB portable drive. Use it for your movies, music, or backup. I have two and both have came in handy many times.